A child who visits the UK applies under the same route as an adult, with extra rules on consent and care. There is no longer a separate child visitor visa. A child under 18 now applies under the Standard Visitor route, with added requirements covering consent, travel and care in the UK. The application must show who the child is travelling with, where they will stay, and that a parent or guardian has agreed to the trip. An application that does not set out suitable care arrangements may be refused. This post provides an overview of the requirements for a child visiting the UK under the Standard Visitor route.
Is there a separate child visitor visa?
There is no longer a separate child visitor visa. Children now apply for entry as visitors under the Standard Visitor route. The separate child visitor category was removed when the visit routes were brought together, and the rules for child visitors now sit within Appendix V: Visitor of the Immigration Rules.
A child under 18 who wants to come to the UK for tourism, to see family, or for another permitted visitor activity applies in the same way as an adult. The child must also meet extra requirements that relate to their age. These cover parental consent, the arrangements for the child’s travel and care, and whether the child is travelling with an adult. The route and the general conditions of a visit are set out on the Standard Visitor Visa guide, with the child-specific rules explained below.
Who counts as a child visitor?
A child visitor is a person under 18 on the date of the visa application who seeks to come to the UK as a visitor. The age is fixed at the date of application, so a person who turns 18 after applying is still treated as a child for that application.
A child may visit the UK with a parent, with another adult, or alone, and the requirements differ between these cases. Where the child is accompanied, the entry clearance names the adult responsible for them. Where the child is unaccompanied, the application must show that suitable arrangements are in place for their travel, reception and care. The Home Office sets out these rules in Appendix V: Visitor, and the practical position for under-18s on the GOV.UK page for a Standard Visitor under 18.
What consent is required for a child to visit the UK?
A child who is not travelling with both parents usually needs written consent from a parent or guardian. The consent confirms that the person with parental responsibility agrees to the child travelling to the UK, to the travel arrangements, and to who is meeting or caring for the child.
Where the child is travelling with one parent only, with another adult, or alone, the application should include written consent from each parent or legal guardian with parental responsibility. The Home Office guidance states that, where the child is not travelling with a parent or guardian, the consent must cover the child’s travel to, reception and care in the UK, and must be given in writing where asked for. The consent letter usually confirms the relationship to the child, the dates of the visit, the address where the child will stay, and the adult responsible for the child during the visit. Contact details for the consenting parent or guardian are normally included so the consent can be checked.
What care and travel arrangements must be shown?
The application must show that suitable arrangements have been made for the child’s travel to the UK, their arrival, and their care while here. This is separate from consent, and it focuses on the practical reality of the visit rather than the permission for it.
The arrangements must identify where the child will stay and who will be responsible for them. Where the child will stay with a relative or family friend rather than a parent, the application should give that person’s details and their relationship to the child. The following information commonly supports this requirement:
- The full name, address and date of birth of the adult who will care for the child in the UK.
- The relationship between that adult and the child.
- Confirmation of where the child will stay for the whole visit.
- Details of how the child will travel to and from the UK, including who is with them.
Where someone other than a parent or guardian will care for the child, extra safeguarding points may apply, and the application should make the arrangements clear on its face.
What conditions apply to a child visiting the UK?
A child visitor is subject to the same core visitor conditions as an adult, including the genuine visitor requirement and the bans on working and settling. The child must genuinely intend to visit for a permitted purpose and to leave at the end of the visit.
The genuine visitor requirement is set out in Appendix V: Visitor. It applies to a child as it does to an adult, judged in light of the child’s circumstances and the arrangements made for them. A child visitor may study during the visit, subject to the rules on short courses, but may not enrol on a long course or attend a state school. A child visitor may not work and may not use public funds. The visit is normally limited to a maximum of six months. A child coming to the UK to live with a parent, rather than to visit, needs a family route, and the Child Dependant Visa covers that.
How does a child apply for a UK visitor visa?
A child applies for a Standard Visitor visa online, and a parent, guardian or another adult completes the application for the child. The process is the same as an adult visit application, with the extra child-specific documents added.
The application is made on GOV.UK, followed by an appointment to give biometric information. The supporting documents include the child’s travel document, evidence of the purpose and funding of the visit, the written parental consent, and the details of the care and travel arrangements. Where a non-visa national child does not need a visit visa, an Electronic Travel Authorisation may be needed instead. General guidance on putting a visit application together is set out on the visit and short-term visas hub.
Frequently asked questions
There is no longer a separate child visitor visa. A child under 18 applies under the Standard Visitor route, which carries extra requirements for consent, care and travel arrangements. The route is the same one adults use to visit, with child-specific safeguards added.
Yes. A child may visit the UK alone or with an adult who is not their parent, provided the application shows written parental consent and suitable arrangements for the child’s travel, reception and care. The application should name the adult responsible for the child during the visit.
A child who is not travelling with both parents usually needs written consent from each parent or guardian with parental responsibility. The consent should confirm agreement to the trip, the travel arrangements, the accommodation, and the adult meeting or caring for the child. Contact details for the consenting parent are normally included.
A child visitor may normally stay for up to six months, the same as an adult visitor. The visit must be genuine and temporary, and the child must intend to leave at the end of it. A child coming to live with a parent in the UK needs a family route rather than a visit visa.
A child visitor may take a short course of study, subject to the rules on permitted study for visitors, but may not enrol on a long course or attend a state school. A child coming to the UK mainly to study needs a study route, such as the Child Student Visa, rather than a visit visa.
How Whytecroft Ford can help
A child visit application turns on more than the child’s own circumstances. It depends on consent from the right people and on care arrangements that are clear on the face of the application. Where the child is travelling without a parent, or staying with a relative rather than a parent, the safeguarding requirements need careful attention, and an unclear application may be refused.
The Whytecroft Ford immigration team advises families on visit applications for children, including unaccompanied children and children visiting relatives in the UK. The firm helps the sponsoring family set out the consent and care arrangements the rules require, in the form the Home Office expects. This is particularly useful for the UK-based relative inviting a child to visit, who needs the application to cover travel, accommodation and care without any gaps.
To discuss a child visit application with our immigration team, call 0208 757 5751 or use the contact form.
Sources
Written and reviewed by the Whytecroft Ford immigration team. IAA Accredited. All guidance is researched against primary sources, including the Immigration Rules, Home Office caseworker guidance and GOV.UK. Reviewed every six months, or sooner following a rule change. Last reviewed: 12 June 2026.
